Greiss getting start vs. Oilers, Demers back in lineup as Sharks hope to end losing streak at two

EDMONTON, Alberta — News and notes as Sharks prepared for Edmonton Oilers with the customary — at least for this time of the season — optional morning skate.

*****Thomas Greiss is getting the start in goal, his third in the past 10 games.

Todd McLellan rejected the idea that his decision might have had something to do with some soft goals Antti Niemi has let in over the past few games, saying it had more to do with the back-to-backs on the schedule and the desire to give Greiss more playing time.

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“Tonight we need a good goaltending performance especially eaerly in the game against a team I’m sure will have a growl and be very hungry,” McLellan said. “We’re very comfortable he can pitch that for us.

“It’s a reflection on Thomas’s ability to come in and play. The last two games he’s played in I think he’s given up one goal,” said McLellan, reminding reporters that back in December — when there were fewer games and even fewer starts for Greiss — he said that once January arrived, his back-up was likely to see more action.

****Look for Jason Demers and Colin White to be the Sharks third d-pairing against the Oilers. That would seem to indicate that Justin Braun is sitting, but this was an optional. Neither Douglas Murray nor Brent Burns skated, so maybe something else is in the works. Feel free to speculate all you want till we get the official scratches shortly before the Rexall Place faceoff.

Jim Vandermeer was one of the last players off the ice, though, so it doesn’t look as if he’ll get a chance to play against the team whose jersey he wore last season.

****Asked how you prepare for a struggling team like the Oilers, McLellan flipped the question around.

“We’ve got our own issues. We’ve lost three of four and we’re trying to come out of it ourselves,” McLellan said. “First thing we’ll do is look at each other in the locker room and make sure we have our house in order.

“We can’t control what happens with the oppostion or whatever motivating tactics they’re using.” he continued. “We expect a hungry, growly team. Every time we play this group, it doesn’t matter what year it is or where it is, it’s a tight game. I don’t thnk it’ll be any different tonight.”

Later he was asked if he would be disappointed if his own team wasn’t growly as well.

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“Absolutely,” he said. “We need the points just as bad as Edmonton does and everybody else in the league. I fully expect our leadership group to have our team ready and everybody to play to their capabilities.”

****Every now and then you hear of players around the NHL who’ve done what they can to avoid being an Oiler. Brad Winchester isn’t one of them.

Winchester broke into the NHL with the Oilers during their Stanley Cup run of 2005-06 — you know that run, the one that saw them eliminate the Sharks. He was here the following year as well and has good memories from both seasons.

“The city is really passionate about the team and got behind all the players,” he said. “It was an exciting thing to be a part of.”

Ryan Smyth, Ales Hemsky and Shawn Horcoff are about the only players left from that team, and Winchester said they do stay in touch when paths cross during the season.

****Here’s what Oiler coach Tom Renney had to say when asked about the Sharks this morning:

“They’re one of those teams that every year – some times a little later than others – they nail their game and how they play and how they have success,” he said. “Certainly they had a tough loss the other night against Vancouver, but they played a good game and we expect we’ll have our hands full.”

David Pollak

David Pollak has been following the NHL forever and at the Mercury News as an editor or reporter since 1987. For almost a decade he wrote about the Sharks as the paper's Fan in the Stands before joining the sports department in 2001. He became the Sharks beat writer before the 2007-08 season and began this blog at that time. You can also follow him on Twitter at @PollakOnSharks.

Looked like 20 Mike Rathjes oot there tonight….
Patheticly SLOW, No hitting, fumblin’, bumblin’ the puck away.
Are they playing to get McClellan fired???
They should have spanked these punks 6-0
Someone light a fire under their ass!

Iafrate

how can you fault a goalie this team cant score?

remenda said they need a top 6 fwd before the deadline….

i think they need a solid defenseman- braun and demers make too many mistakes and white and vandemeer havent provided the stability they thought. Boyle is a huge defensive liability.

Thay also need more depth on 3-4 lines.

But thats what happens when you have half your cap dedicated to 6 guys who are either underacheiving or have huge flaws in their game that are easily exploited.

i just cant understand how this team has never been able to find a consistent “style”. They always let the other team dictate how the game goes. Thats a coaching or player personality problem. Either the coach cant motivate these guys or these guys cant be motivated. We have changed coaches a few times with this crew already so…

Do these guys even really want to win? I can’t believe how disinterested professional athletes can be with regard to pursuing the puck. If my kid’s squirts team played like this, I can hear the coach yelling “keep your feet moving” and “be first to the puck”. Does TMac need to treat these guys like 9 year olds???

Second comment — how is it that every goalie the Sharks face seems to have a “career night”? Call me crazy, but I’m starting to think there’s a trend here…

A pathetic effort against a bottom dweller. It’s getting difficult to watch. Thank god for the all star break.

MLBSF

These are all excellent honest observations .. observations that clearly won’t go over well by the regulars here who try to convince us all that the sun sets in the east.

But we all clearly see with our own eyes the mess that is the San Jose Sharks.

I don’t know how Wilson sleeps at night knowing the enormous amount of work he needs to do with this team.

Pucky

The character and approach of this team will never change as long as Thornton and Marleau are leading the effort. They are the one constant here. Their mental make up does not lend itself to aggression. Case in point tonight…this Schmid dude owned Marleau physically in this game with absolutely no payback on Patty’s part…pathetic. This team will always reach a certain level but will not win the Cup until there are fundamental changes in the player hierarchy.

AJ

Jeez… I feel like I could just cut and paste my post from yesterday and wouldn’t have to change a thing. Once again, Jumbo looks like he doesn’t even want to play. I will never understand the kudos this guy seems to get constantly.

Secondly, I thought Griess looked more than fine out there. Does he need a little work on dealing with speed on shootouts? Sure, but I don’t think Niemi would have stopped the one Griess let in tonight. In fact, I would imagine that Niemi would have let in 2 which just goes to prove that with out logjam in goal, the Sharks should be actively looking to see what Niemi can fetch in the open market.

Buddy Elf

LOL… funny how Iafrate takes all day to come up with that garbage…. and he only shows up after the Sharks lose… this donkey. Even then, that’s two first picks, not two #1 picks like you original said… there’s a difference, but then again, you’re a sock puppet of MLBSF, so logic goes right over your head, just like it does over your master…

I said Logan is great… he’s been great ever since I called him out on this blog, you know, since my whining and complaining on some blog comment area actually affects the Sharks and how they play. He just sucks in shootouts.

SanJoseCupCrazy

MLB Tourette’s Syndrome: This is a bit off topic, but do you have a job? Seems to we haven’t gone three posts all year on this blog without you firing off more vomit. Do you ever work? Do you date? Do you at least pause for a few moments for a little “alone” time in between postings? IT seems to me that your life revolves around being a douchebag on this blog. I honestly feel sorry for you. You’re obviously an angry person. Must be difficult to go through life like that, right?

(Here it comes: Return post at 11:58 p.m. from MLB ADHD with some wild-ass remark about being the CEO of an aluminum recycling plant…. or a gynecologist….. or the founder of an anger management clinic…..)

Long Time No Cup

Saying the Sharks play to the level of their opponents because they play a bunch of one-goal games is making an unsupported leap unless you also show how their number of one-goal games is significantly greater than the number played by other teams.

I don’t have an opinion one way or another about it although it strikes me as one of the mythic sports truisms like “momentum” or “grit” that are impossible to define and turn out not to exist when subject to careful study.

Anybody see the article over the weekend pointing out the extremely low positive correlation between a team fighting and winning a lot of games or a Stanley Cup? Another shibboleth bites the dust.

Buddy Elf

LTNC: I texted Marleau, and he said he read that article too and found it interesting.

Do you remember where the article was?

just saying

that in the last 10 games the lethargic sharkies managed 5 wins and 5 losses, 25 goals in favor and 24 against.
Not exactly material for rocking the standings or the stadium, or anybody for that matter.

I guess the all star break started early for our “stars”.

Snow Shovel

Congratulations to Beer league and Stevo for passing muster and being listed on Iafraidy’s Undesireables List. Your perseverance and determination has payed off!

Dirty, you’ll have to work harder. Don’t get discouraged, keep trying.

For all the others – it’s not too late to join this select group along with elf, train and myself. We have certainly deserved it. We have worked almost tirelessly to get this mention.

Doug H

I feel maybe with the injuries we are lacking a little composure up front.

Pavs is suffering from lack of confidence, while couture is flying high.

thornton does slow down the play but we scored because of him, so he got us a point.

every team knows how to stop our entry, line up high on the blue line and attack the puck carrier. we arent inventive to get into the zone anymore, and until that changes we will have fewer and fewer really “good” looks at the net.

the all star break is going to change this team, they need time to reflect, get the bad juju out and come back fresh. For now though i am looking forward to Calgary!

Go Sharks!

Sammy

We should trade someone really crappy for someone really good.

hmslion

The winter of our discontent….

Very frustrating stretch…

Games in hand points, mostly evaporated.

Two players we traded for and had high hopes for helping us get faster and score more, now injured (hopefully Burns won’t be a 6 – 8 week IR resident…)

Hot goalies for not very good teams

Soft goals

Not sure this ends well…

Carcharodon_carcharias

Dear God,

Please don’t let Burnzie be out for the season, that’s all for now, I’ll get back to you later I’m sure.

Love,

Carcharodon

Martin Brody

Haha Sammy, Love your one liners. Keep em coming.

NB Finfan

Sorry Snow Shovel, I am a proud member of the “Bum” club. I dont want to be part of the the elf train or any other group 🙂

Some people have come here to try and ruin this blog. They are succeeding not because of their childish comments but due to the childish responses they have sucked y’all into.

I enjoy reading the different opinions because they help develop mine. I enjoy reading your poems because they bring humor in here when things get heated. I dont get any pleasure out of coming here to behave like an adolescent and call someone a name.

Now back to hockey!

Doug H

Whats everyones thoughts on the Flames?

Definitely a winnable game, I think these games in hand have made the team comfortable, would like to see a higher intensity, especially with the all star break coming for 99% of our team.

pressure the point and stack the middle. they dont have great behind the net play.

would like to see us dictate proceedings and have longer shifts in the O-zone, puck possession seems to have gone way down for us and its telling. its hard to expect two AHL guys (albeit very good AHL guys) to dominate the center against seasoned NHL teams, and hopefully our big earners have learned that and will start to carry this team through its injuries.